Latin Quotes, Sayings, Tattoos, Phrases & Mottos

Most texts and materials on this site have to do with the Latin language, including its perception in popular culture: movies, tattoos, inscriptions, engravings, bits of ancient philosophy, online Latin resources and company names. There is also information about learning Latin and Greek: textbooks, dictionaries, DVDs and software that can be used in a homeschooling environment.

Latin Quotes About Life (and inevitably about death...)

Due to increased demand, here is a fairly representable selection of Latin quotes about life. Naturally, the ancients rarely thought of life without brining death into the equasion.

Ad vitam paramus - We are preparing for lifeAmor est vitae essentia - Love is the essence of life. (Robert B. Mackay)Ampliat aetatis spatium sibi vir bonus; hoc est vivere bis vita posse priore frui – The good man extends the period of his life; it is to live twice, to enjoy with satisfaction the retrospect of our past life. (Martial)Aqua vitae - Water of lifeArs longa, vita brevis - Art (work) is long, but life is shortAvarus, nisi cum poritur, nil recte facit – A miser, until he dies, does nothing rightBis vivit qui bene vivit - He lives twice who lives wellBrevis ipsa vita est sed malis fit longior - Our life is short but is made longer by misfortunes. (Publilius Syrus)Conveniens vitae mors fuit ista suae – That was a death conformable to his life. (Ovid)Credula vitam spes fovet et melius cras fore semper dicit - Credulous hope supports our life, and always says that tomorrow will be better. (Tibullus)Cum dubia et fragilis sit nobis vita tributa, in morte alterius spem to tibi ponere noli – Seeing that life has been given us precarious and full of uncertainty, fix not your hopes on the death of another. (Cato)Curriculum vitae - The course of one's lifeDum inter homines sumus, colamus humanitatem - As long as we are among humans, let us be humane. (Seneca)Dum spiramus tuebimur - While we breathe, we shall defendDum spiro, spero - While I breathe, I hope. (Cicero)Dum tempus habemus, operemur bonum - While we have the time, let us do goodDum vita est spes est - While life is, hope is. / While there is life there is hopeDum vivimus, vivamus - While we live, let us live (Epicurean philosophy)Fama semper vivat - May his/her fame last foreverHistoria est vitae magistra - The history is the tutor of lifeInteger vitae scelerisque purus - Blameless of life and free from crimeLuctor et emergo - I struggle but I'll surviveMemento vivere - A reminder of life (literally remember that you have to live)Nec possum tecum vivere, nec sine te - I am able to live / I can live neither with you, nor without you. (Martial)Non ignara mali, miseris succurrere disco - No stranger to misfortune [myself, F.] I learn to relieve the sufferings [of othersNon scholae sed vitae discimus - We do not learn for school, but for life. (Seneca)Primum viveri deinde philosophari - Live before you philosophize, or Leap before you lookQuod differtur, non aufertur - That which is postponed is not dropped. Inevitable is yet to happen. (Sir Thomas More)Quod incepimus conficiemus - What we have begun we shall finishTamdiu discendum est, quamdiu vivas - We should learn as long as we may live. (We live and learn.) (Seneca Philosophus)Victoria et pro victoria vita – Victory, and for victory lifeVictoria, et per victoriam vita – Victory, and through victory lifeVita mutatur, non tollitur - Life is changed, not taken awayVita non est vivere sed valere vita est - Life is more than merely staying aliveVita sine libris mors est - Life without books is deathVita turpis ne morti quidem honestae colum relinquit – A life of shame leaves no room even for an honorable death. (Cicero)Vitam impendere vero - To risk one's life for the truthVitam regit fortuna, non sapientia - Fortune, not wisdom, rules lives. (Cicero)Viva enim mortuorum in memoria vivorum est posita – The life of the dead is retained in the memory of the living. (Cicero)Vivat, crescat, floreat! - May he/she/it live, grow, and flourish!Vive hodie - Live today (not tomorrow)Vive ut vivas - Live that you may liveVivere commune est, sed non commune mereri - Everybody lives; not everybody deserves toVivere disce, cogita mori - Learn to live; Remember death. (sundial inscription)Vivos voco, mortuos plango- I call the living, I mourn the dead. (church bell inscription)Vixit - He/she has lived